Machine for varnishing rubber shoes.



No. 826,258. PATENTED JULY 17,1906.

0. L AKIN. MACHINE FOR VARNISHING RUBBER SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-12, 1906.

s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JULY. 17, 1906.

c. LAKIN. MACHINE FOR VARNISHING RUBBER s APPLICATION FILED MAR.12. 190s.

' 3 8HEETSSHEET 2.

No. 826,258 v PATENTED JULY17, 1906. 0. LAKIN.

MACHINE FOR VARNISHING RUBBER SHOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UN TE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES LAKIN, OF MELR'OsE, MASSACHUSETTS, AssIeNOR OF ONE- HALF TO BOSTON RUBBER sHOE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSA- OHUsnTTs, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

l-atented July 17, 1906.

Application filed March 12, 1906. Serial No. 305,532.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES LAKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Melrose, county of Middlesex, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Varnishing Rubber Shoes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

In the process of manufacturing rubber shoes it is customary to varnish the shoes after they have been formed upon the last before being vulcanized. This'is usually done by dipping. When-the shoe is formed, the lining which closely fits the last comes up considerably higher on the last than is intended for the finished shoe, and the rubber coating also extends over more surface of the lining than is required for the finished shoe. The excess of material is to avoid the necessity of followingthe exact line of the finished shoe during the. coating and varnishing, as thereby the workcan be performed more quickly than if the exact line had to be followed. Subsequently the surplus material is trimmed off while the shoe is still on the last to give the exact contour to the top of the shoe, as desired. The varnishing or dipping is performed before the shoe is'trimmed. This is usually done by hand by two dipping movements. The operator grasps between the thumb and fingers. the upper portion of the last covered by the extension of the lining and'dips the fore part into a tank or'vat of the varnish, giving it a movement in a ,quick downward sweep so as to cover both the upper and the sole of the fore part, bringing'it to a nearly horizontal position, taking care to dip it deep enough to cover fully as much as will beincluded in the finished shoe, then he lifts it out? and dips the heel part. After both dipping operations the last with the shoe still on it is placed on a rack to'drip before being placed in the vulcanizer. To

'avoid contact with the varnished portion of v the shoe, a holder stick or bar is provided "with upwardly-projecting pins which enter sockets in the top of the last, and a row of the shoes may thus be placed on one stick, which is set on a rack to allow the shoes to drip.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine or an apparatus whereby a considerable number of shoes may be dipped at the same time by a single operator and without any hand contact with the shoe or last during the operation and to follow the principle of hand-di .p Y The invention W1 1 now be fully described,

reference being had to the accom anying drawings, and the novel features wil be particularly pointed out in the claims at the close of the specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a machine embodying the invention, partly broken away and showing a ortion only of the. tank, the shoe-holder stic being shown detached. Fig. 2 is an end view show-- ing the machine equip ed with dipping apparatus on both sides 0 the tank, that on the right-hand side showing in full lines the rocking frame and shoe in position ready to be operated and showing in dotted lines the posi tion when the rocking frame has been turned forward far enough for the shoes toengage the movable cross-bar which is connected with the weights and also showing in dotted lines the position when the fore part is being dipped, the apparatus on the left-hand side showing the position of the apparatus and shoe after the shoes on thatside have been dipped and the, rocking frame has been returned to position for the shoes to drip. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing the position when the rear part is being dipped. Fig. 4 shows in shape the portion of the shoe which is covered by the first dipping. Fig. 5 shows the result after the rear portion has been dipped.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 is a box or tank containing the varnish 2. Extending from the upper edge of the side of the tank is a shelf or table 3, having the vertical side pieces or brackets 4, which support the hinged rocker-arms 5 when in their rearward position of rest. The 'two rocker-arms 5 are hinged to the upper edge of the front side of the tank 1 near opposite ends thereof, the upper edges of the side brackets 4 being preferably inclined so that the rocker-arms cannot swing down farther than. is necessary for proper use of the apparatus. The two rockerarms 5, preferably of iron, are connected by a rod 6 or other suitable'connection so 'as to The shoe-holder 7 is a bar or stick provided with a double row of studs or'pins 8 to enga e sockets in the top of the lasts on *hich the shoes are formed and held, there being preferably two pins to engage each last, 'so thatthere shall be no swiveling movement of the last.

Pivoted to the inner face of each of the rocker-arms 5 of the rack is a grooved ear 9 to, receive and hold the shoe-holder bar or stick 7. These ears are pivoted at one end on pivot-studs 10, so that the bar 7 can be given a rocking movement independently of the movement of the rocking arms 5. These ears 9v have agrooved way 11, open at one end' and closed by a sto '12 at the other end, so that the fiat holderar 7 can be inserted and withdrawn from one end of theholder': ears. Preferably the first stud 10 is near onecorner of the ear at the end toward the tank, and a second stud 13 projects fromthe same end of the ear and passes through a curved guide-slot 14.. The ends of the slot 14 form a stop to limit the independent movement of the ear 9 on its pivot 10. The stop-partition 12 at one end of the grooved way 11 in the, holder-ear prevents the bar 7 from sliding out at that end.

-Lugs 15 on the inner faces 'of the brackets 4 engage the .ears 9 when the rocking arms 5 are in their. position of rest to relieve the strain on the studs 13 and slots 14:, and they are preferably-so positioned that the open.

end of the grooved way .11 will not be lower than the closed end, so that the shoe-holder.

bar 7 will not slide out of itself.

Rising from the opposite ends of the tank,

1 near the side are two standards or posts 16, each provided with an inwardly-offset portion or arm 17, which slightly overhangs thefinside of-the tank.- A rod 18 extends across the tank of sufficient length to engage the inwardly-offsetportions 17, the rod 18 being, however, short enough to go inside. The rod 18 bears against the uprights 16 on the op osite side from the rocker-arms 5 when t e machine is at rest. Secured to the rod 18 near both ends are cords 20, which run over pulleys 21 on the outer faces of the rocker-arms 5 and then over pulleys 22 on the brackets 4 and have attached to-their ends weights 23, which normally 1111 on the cords sufficiently to hold the ro 18 firmly against. the posts 16 when in position of rest and to press against the bottoms of the shoes during the operation, so as to prevent the shoes from falling off from the holder and The operation of'the ap aratus is "as fol-- lows: The shoe-holder whj e in the position of rest (shown on the right in Fig. 2) is loaded up with its full capacity of shoes 24. 'The holder may be made of any capacity desired, but for convenience in operation when operated by hand-power the preferred size is to have a capacity for six pairs of shoes for each holder. The operator standing in front of the machine grasps the shoe-holder bar 7 with hishands and the bar turns forward on the pivot far enough to bring the shoes continues the forward movement, the shoespushing' the rod 18 forward with them againstthe pull of the Wei hts 23 and raising; the weights 23, the pul -back tension of wlnch serves to retain the rod in contact with the bottomsof the shoes, so that the shoeswill be retained in position on the holder. The downward movement is continued until a little. more than half of the shoe is dipped, then the operator turns the shoe-holder with his hand slightly to bring the toes up toward him 'and the heel part downward, as permitted by the curved slots 14, and again pushes on the shoe-holder to carry down the rocker-arms and shoe-holder and dip the heel end of the shoes, as shown in Fig. 3, to immerse the portion which was not dipped by the first dipping.- Then he releases his pressure sufficiently to allow the weights to pull the rod 18 up against. the uprights 16, and the rocking arms will by reason of the load turn still farther back into their original position, the weight of the fore part of the shoes causing the holder-bar to stand in the position shown on the left in Fig. 2, with the toes down, so that the shoes may drip. turnin of the holder-bar to bring the shoes into .t is position. long enough. for the su erfluous varnish to drip off. The shoe-hol er is then withdrawn from the machine, with the shoes still carriedby it, and is laced on a rack or conveyer to be transferred tothe vulcanizer. There is sufficient clearance-space betweenv the cross-bar 18 and the shoe-holder bar 7 when both are in their positions of rest to adapt the apparatus to any-size shoe desired.

The preferred form of construction is ,to have two sets of dip ing mechanism connected with each tank as shown in Fig. 2, oneon each side, and have one operator attend to both sets, so that while one set of The curved-slot 14-= allows" the- He leaves them thus shoes is' allowed to'drip after being immersed he may dip another set on the other side, and thus economize his "time. The length of time required to set up and 'dip the second set is just about enough for the first set to rip.

While I have shown and described the apparatus as operated by hand, mechanism can e devised to actuate the shoe-holder automatically, giving it the proper forward and back and turning movement, and I should consider a machine which embodied the principle of construction and operation hereinbefore described, but'operat'ed automatically, as coming within the scope of my invention. It is also obvious that there are well-known equivalents for the weights 23 to give tensionto the cross-bar 18. It is alsoobvious that instead of the crossbar 18 clamps or other fastening devices might be employed to prevent the lasts from being displaced from the holder during the movebein movable on its the s oe-holder, said olderhaving a ivotal connection with said rocker-frame W ereby ment of the rocker-arms, and the return movement could be given either. by the stren th of pull of the operator by hand or by 05161 means, and thus dispense'with the cross-rod and weights.

What I claim is 1. A rubber-shoe-varnishing machine having a. varnish-tank, a rocker-frame which rises above the tank, and a shoe-holder carried by said rocker-frame, the rocker-frame ivot to raise and lower said holder may be turned independently of the rocker-frame to bring alternately the heel portion and the fore part of the shoe downward whereb the forepart and the heel part of the s oe may be successively dipped.

2. A rubber-shoe-varnishing machine having a varnish-tank, a rocker-frame which rises above the tank and is adapted to rock in a vertical plane over the varnish in the tank and a shoe-holderpivotally connected with the rocker-frame whereby the shoe-holder has a movement in a vertical planetogether with the rocker-frame and may have a secondaryrocking movement in the same vertical plane independent of themovementof the rocker-frame.

3. A rubber-shoe-varnishing machine having a varnishtank, a rocker-frame'hinged at one sid to the upper portion of the varnishtank a d adapte extend over the tank, a support for the rocker- .frame when in its backward osition, a shoeholder adapted to carry the s oes and having a ivotalconnection with said rocker-frame w ereby said shoe-holder may have a secondary rocking movement independent of the movement which it has,in connection with the rocker-frame.

4. A rubber-shoe-varnishing machine having a varnish-tank, a rocker-frame hinged at one side to the up er portion of the varnishtank and adapte to rock forward so as to .eggtend over the tank, a support for. the rockerframe when in its backward dposition, a shoeho'lder bar adapted to hol and carry the shoes, ears pivoted to the rocker-frame and having grooved ways to receive the shoeto rockforward so as to;

holder bar whereby the shoe-holder may be secured therein and detached therefrom.

- 5. Arubber-hoe-varnishing machine having a varnish-tank, a rocker-frame hinged at one side to the up er portion of the varnishtank and adapte to rock forward so as to extend overthe tank, asupport for the rockerframe. when in its backward osition, a shoeholder bar-adapted to hol and carry'the having grooved ways to receive the shoeholder bar whereby the shoe-holder may be secured therein and detached therefrom, and

stops which limit the independent rocking movement of said ears and shoe-holder with relation to the rocker-frame.

shoes, ears pivoted to therocker-frame and 6. Arubber-shoe-varnishin machinehaving' a varnish-tank, a'plura ity of rockerarms hinged at one end and adapted to rock forward so that the free end of the rocker arms will project over the interior of the tank, rearward supports for the rocker-arms when they are swung backward, ears pivotally connected with the inner faces of the rocker-arms, whereby said ears ma be rocked on their pivots independent 0 "the movement of the rocker-arms, stops which ed with the inner f the rocker-arms, whereb said ears, may be rocked on their pivots ndependent of the movement of the rocker-arms, stogs which limit the arc of movement of sai ears, a bar adapted to receive lasts containing the shoes, grooved ways in said ears toreceive said shoe-holder bar in such manner that the holdersbar'ma'y becarried by the rocker-frame and may be detached therefrom, the shoe-holder. bar being provided with a plurality of pins adapted for connection with the lasts on which the shoes are held.

8. A rubber-shoe-varnishing machine havsupports for the rocker-arms when they are swung backward, ears 1 pivotally connectaces 'o ing a varnish-tank, a rocker-frame hinged at one side and adapted to rockforwardso that its free end will extend over the interior of the tank and -rock backward, a support for the rocker-frame when in its backward position; a shoe-holder bar adapted to carry the shoes and means for retaining the shoes on the holder during the rocking movement.

9. A rubber-shoeevarnishing machine having a varnish-tank, a rocker-frame hinged at one side and adapted to rock forward so that its free end will extend over the interior of the tank and rock backward, a support for the rocker-frame when in its backward position, a shoe-holder bar adapted to" carry the shoes, and movabletension-controlled means for retaining the shoes on the holder during the rocking movement '10. Av rubber-shoe-varnishing machine having a varnish-tank,- a rocker-frame hinged at one side and adapted to rock'forward so that its free end will extend over the interior of the tank and rock backward, ,asupport for the rocker-frame when in its backward position, a shoe-holder bar-adapted to carry .the'

,posite-ends thereof and extending over pulleys on the sides of said rocker-frame and.

said supports for the, rocker-frame, means for giving tension to said cords whereby the said rod 1s held normally in'contact with the projections on said standards, and is held in engagement withthe bottoms-of the shoes to retain the shoes on the holder when the rocker-frame is turned forward over the tank.

1 1. A'rubber-shoe-varnishin machine having a -varnish-tank, two roc er-arms Peach hin ed atone end n'ear opposite ends of the tanh, said rocker 'arms being adapted to swing forward overthe interior of the tank, a connection between said rocker-arms which causes them to move as one frame, ears pivoted to the inner faces of said rocker-arms, a curved guide-slotin the side of each rockerarm on an arc whose center is the axis of the pivot-pin, a stud projecting from the ear and engaging with said gu1deslot whereby the turni movement of the ear on its pivot is limite and a-shoe-holder bar adapted to be held by en agement with said ears. 12. Arub er-sho.e-varnishin machine having a varnish-tank, two roic er-arms each 7 hin ed at one end near op osite ends of the tan said rocker arms eing adapted to swing forward over the interiorof the tank, a connection between said rocker-arms which causes them to move as-one frame, ears piv-' oted to the inner faces of said rocker-arms, a curved guide-slot in the side of each rockerarm on an arc whose center is the axis ofv the pivot-pin, a stud projecting from the ear and engaging with said guide-slot whereby the amass turn'in movement of the ear on its pivot is limite groovedways on the inner ifaces of the ears, a shoe-holder bar adapted to be inserted in the said' rooved wa s in the ears and thereby carrie by'the roc er-arms, said pivotal connection of the ears with the rocker-arms enabling the shoe-holder to be turned in relation to the rocker-arms independently of the'movement of the rocker- BIIHS.

13. A rubber-shoel-varnishing machine having a varnish-tank, tworocker-arms hinged point, ears pivote to the inner faces of said rocker-arms, a'curved guideeslot in the side ot each rocker-arm on an arc whose center is vthe axis of the pivot-pin, a stud projecting from the ear and engaging with said guideslot whereb the turnin movement of theear on its pivot is limite grooved ways on the inner faces-ofithe-ears, a shoe-holder bar adapted to be inserted in the said rooved wa s in the ears and thereby 'carrie by the roe er-arms, said pivotal connection of the "ears with the rocker-arms enabling the shoeholder to be turned in relation to'the rockerarm independently ofthe movement of the rocker-arms and stops whichengage the ears on the rocker-arms when in their rearward position to limit the backward turning of the ears.

14. A rubber-shoe varnishing machine having a varnishtank, a rocker-frame hin ed at one end and ada ted to swing forwar over the interior of t e tank, a support for the rocker-frame in its rearward position which prevents the rocker-frame from turning ackward below a-fixed oint,'side arms on said rocker-frame,ears pivoted to the inner faces of said rocker-arms, a curved guideslot in the side-of each rocker-arm on an' arc whose center. is the axis of the pivot-spin, a stud projectin from the ear and engaging with said gui e-slot. whereby the turnin movement of the ear on its pivot is limite grooved ways on the' innerfaces of the ears a shoe-holder bar adapted to be insertedin t e said grooved ways in theears and thereby carried by the rocker-arms, said pivotal connection of the earswith the rocker-arms enablingthe shoe-holder to be turned in relation to the rocker-arm independently of'the movement of the-rocker --arms,' standards rising above the ends of the tank and havin proi'lections which extend inwardly towar eac' other above the interior of the tank, a

loose rod which extends'crosswise above the tank and 0 ages said inward projections on I the standar s on the opposite side from the rocker frame, cords extending from said loose rod rearward over pulleys in the sides of the rocker-arms and supporting-frame for the rocker-arms and weightsattached to the rear ends of said cords whereby the said loose rod is normally held against the projections on said standards, said rod engaging said standards at such an elevation that when the rocking frame is turned forward the bottoms of the shoes carried by said shoe-holder will engage said loose rod and carry it forward in a continued movement of the rocker-frame, said shoe-holder bar being adapted to be 7 turned on its pivot when the rocker-frame is swung forward over the surface of the varnish in the tank, whereby the shoes may be turned to immerse alternately the fore part and the rear part of the shoes in the varnish, the pressure of the loose rod on the bottoms of the shoes retaining the shoes, in the holder.

15. A rubber-shoe-varnishing machine having a varnish-tank, a shoe-holder bar adapted to receive and hold a last on which the shoe is held and a movable support for the shoeholder bar having a compound movement whereby the shoe while on the holder may be lowered into the tank and the holder turned to dip alternately the heel and fore-part 'ortions of the shoe, one portion being out o the liquid while another is being dipped.

16. A rubber-shoe-varnishing machine having a varnish-tank, a shoe-holder bar adapted to receive and hold a plurality of lasts on which the rubber shoes are held and a movable support for the shoe-holder bar having a compound movement whereby the shoes while on the holder may be lowered into the tank to dip one portion of each shoe and then the shoe-holder may be turned to bring another portion of each shoe into the liquid contained in the tank and then withdrawn, the shoe-holder being removably connected with said movable support.

- 17. A rubber-shoe varnishing machine havin a varnish-tank, a movable frame, a shoeho der ivoted to said movable frame, said frame eing movable to bring the shoeholder into and out of proximity to the liquid in the tank, the shoe-holder having a swinging movement in a vertical plane independently of the movement of the frame whereby the frame may be moved to dip one end of the shoe and then the holder may be turned to dip the other end of the shoe.

1 8. A rubber-shoe-varnishing machine having a varnish-tank, a frame pivoted at one end and having its" other endfree to turn down toward the liquid. in the tank, a shoeholder pivoted to said frame and having a swinging movement in a vertical plane independent of the movement of the frame whereby said frame may be turned and the shoe held to dip the heel portion of the shoe while the fore part. is turned up, and then the holder may be turned to bring the fore part downward to dip the fore part while the heel part is turned up. w

19. A.rubber-shoe-varnishing machine having a varnish-tank, a frame hinged so that its free end will swing down toward the liquid in the tank, a shoe-holder ivotally connected with the swinging end 0 the frame-and carried thereby and having a swinging movement in the frame independently of its movementwith the frame, the shoe-holder being adapted for manual operation to move the frame while the shoe-holder is held in fixed relation to the frame to dip one end of the shoe, and the holder may then be turned to dip the other end of the shoe while the first di ed end is out of the liquid.

n testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES LAKIN.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. COPELAND, ALNIE TAKE. 

